Pimp the vote

Perhaps you’ve seen the image on the left circulating around the Internets. It’s an homage to the image on the right, a ’60s antiwar poster featuring Joan Baez and her sisters.

I second Rebecca Traister, who says the newer, Obama-themed poster “Makes me want to put a fist through a wall, put a hammer through my skull and move to France.” More specifically, as Renee puts it:

It’s not even a new twist on an old theme; as Barack would say, it’s more of the same. The idea that women’s bodies can and should be offered as a reward for good behaviour has been with us for centuries. It’s appearance as a campaign slogan only proves how far we need to progress as women.

I really hate that this props up the idea that there’s a “groupie mentality” among young women who support Obama. The poster echoes the insulting argument made by some during the Democratic primary that young women who support Obama don’t actually think he has good policy positions or political stances. We just think he’s HAWT. And we like that our boyfriends like him!

Look, I understand this poster is supposed to be tongue-in-cheek, retro fun. (Hello, it just oozes “Made in Brooklyn” hipsterrific charm.) And you know what? I’m into retro. Retro fashion? Yes, pls. Retro music and home decor? Yes and yes. But retro politics and political statements? Um, no thank you.

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